PODCAST

Hard Times and True Crimes

Darlene Hildreth and Melody Gwyn

Listen to two Southern, Christian women tell each other historical true crime stories.

true crime

All Episodes

56:32

119. The Murder of Bridget Cleary: The Irish Fairy...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2026/03/04

In March of 1895, a young Irish woman named Bridget Cleary was brutally murdered by her husband and several relatives in the small village of Ballyvadlea in County Tipperary. For several days, Bridget was subjected to interrogations, forced herbal mixtures, and violent rituals meant to “drive out” the fairy believed to be inhabiting her body. On the night of March 15, 1895, she was burned to death in the family home. Sources Books The Burning of Bridget Cleary – Angela BourkeIrish Superstiti...

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89:41

118. Bitter Blood (Part 2): The Collapse of a...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2026/02/04

In Part 2 of our Bitter Blood series, we continue the shocking true story made famous by North Carolina author Jerry Bledsoe in his bestselling book Bitter Blood. What began as a volatile marriage spiraled into paranoia, obsession, and a custody battle that would end in one of the most devastating family murder-suicides in North Carolina history. We re-released this series in memory of Jerry Bledsoe, who passed away in December 2025. His reporting preserved this case with depth, compassion, a...

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70:43

117. Bitter Blood Pt. I (Re-Release) | In Memory of...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2026/01/27

Jerry Bledsoe, North Carolina’s #1 New York Times bestselling true crime author, passed away on December 31, 2025, in Asheboro, NC. In honor of his life and legacy, we are re-releasing our two-part episode on Bitter Blood — the book that brought national attention to one of the most disturbing murder cases in North Carolina history. Sources We researched and built this episode using: Bledsoe, Jerry. Bitter Blood (book)Newspapers.com (archived newspaper reporting, obituaries, and contemporar...

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50:54

116. Marion Parker: The Infamous 1927 Los Angeles...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/12/24

In this special Christmas episode of Hard Times and True Crimes, we examine one of the most disturbing crimes in American history: The kidnapping and murder of Marion Parker in Los Angeles in 1927. In December 1927, Los Angeles was rocked by the kidnapping and murder of Marion Parker, a crime so horrific it dominated national headlines and left a permanent mark on American true crime history. This episode explores the details of the crime, the historical context of 1920s Los Angel...

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61:26

115. A Christmas Nightmare: The Crimes of Ronald Gene...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/12/10

Ronald Gene Simmons lived quietly in Arkansas throughout the 1980s, keeping mostly to himself and his large family. Outwardly, he appeared to be living a simple life in the country—but behind closed doors was a world shaped by control, fear, and long-term abuse. In December of 1987, during the week of Christmas, the darkness inside the Simmons home finally erupted. What unfolded became the largest family mass murder in American history. In this episode, we walk through the days leading up to ...

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42:35

114. Erin Patterson Australia Mushroom Poisoning...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/11/19

In 2023, Erin Patterson sat down to lunch with her in-laws. A fatal family lunch in rural Australia. A handful of mushrooms. Three deaths. One survivor. And a woman at the center of a case that grabbed the world's attention almost overnight. In this episode, we break down the 2023 Erin Patterson Australia mushroom poisoning case step-by-step - the timeline, the medical findings, the early interviews, the evidence released so far, and why investigators believe this incident is anyt...

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38:45

113. Halloween Special: The Asylum Edition

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/10/31

Episode Summary: In our Halloween special, we step into the dark history of women’s mental health in early 20th-century America. Two women — Catherine Ward and Carrie Selvage — entered the asylum system from different directions. One commited a horrific crime. One guilty of nothing. Both lives ended tragically. We explore how fear, misunderstanding, and limited medical knowledge shaped their fates. Themes Included: • Asylums — hope vs. harm • Postpartum mental health • Trauma and “nervo...

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58:47

112. The Real Amityville Horror Story: What Really...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/10/15

🎙️ In this episode, we uncover the chilling truth behind The Amityville Horror — separating fact from fiction in one of America’s most infamous stories. Long before the bestselling book and Hollywood movies, there was a real tragedy inside 112 Ocean Avenue: the DeFeo family murders. Join us as we explore what really happened that night in Amityville, New York — the crime, the haunting that followed, and how a story of horror became a pop-culture phenomenon. Was the house truly cursed, or

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60:40

111. The Phillips Family Murders: Winston-Salem’s New...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/10/01

On New Year’s Eve, 1947, Winston-Salem was still glowing with Christmas decorations when a tragedy unfolded that shocked Forsyth County and made headlines across the state of North Carolina. Everett and Margaret Phillips were a devoted couple who waited eight years for their only child, Tommy Lee. They poured their lives into him, indulging him with love, music, and opportunity. But when young love, secrets, and defiance collided, the results were catastrophic. 🎙️ Featuring: •Male...

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29:57

110. The Murder of Dr. Cozart in Fuquay-Varina | True...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/09/17

In the early 1950s, the quiet community then known as Fuquay Springs - today's Fuquay-Varina in Wake County, North Carolina - was shaken by the violent killing of Dr. Cozart, a respected local physician. His sudden death stunned the town and left behind questions that linger more than a century later. In this episode, we revisit the case of Dr. Cozart's murder, exploring the historical records, the small-town setting, and the community impact of a crime that occurred when Fuquay was sti...

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71:29

109.The Rowan County Axe Murders: The Lyerly Family

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/09/03

In July of 1906, Rowan County, North Carolina, was shaken by one of the most brutal crimes in state history. Isaac Lyerly, his wife Augusta, and two of their young children were murdered in their farmhouse near Barber Junction. Bludgeoned with the family’s own axe and left in a fire meant to destroy the evidence, the crime horrified Salisbury and quickly drew national attention. Three of the surviving Lyerly sisters escaped the burning home, carrying their wounded sister Alice to safety, only...

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87:02

108. A Shot in the Dark: The Barbara Stager Case

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/08/20

In February 1988, a single gunshot shattered the quiet of a Durham, North Carolina, neighborhood. Barbara Stager told police her husband Russ's death was a tragic accident. But as investigators dug deeper, the picture-perfect image of a devoted wife began to crack. In this episode of Hard Times & True Crimes, we step back into the 1980s Durham - a city caught between its tobacco past and high-tech future, where Baptist faith and family values shaped everyday life, and where appearan...

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53:21

108. Paradise Lost: The Chillingworth Murders of...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/08/07

In the warm summer of 1955, Judge Curtis Chillingworth, Florida’s youngest ever circuit judge and a man known for his fairness would vanish from his beachside cottage in Manalapan, just south of West Palm Beach. His wife, Marjorie, disappeared with him. Footprints led to the sea and never came back. What followed was one of Florida’s most shocking true crime cases: a tale of organized corruption, political ambition, and backroom rackets. The judge had made powerful enemies becau...

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55:42

A Crime, A Conversion, A Controversy: The Karla Faye...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/07/23

In 1983, a brutal double homicide in Houston, Texas shocked the public—not just because of the violence, but because of who was eventually held responsible. Karla Faye Tucker, a 23-year-old woman with a troubled past, quickly became one of the most controversial figures in modern true crime history. But this isn’t just a story about murder. It’s about transformation. It’s about a young woman who claimed to find God behind bars. It’s about a justice system unprepared for the public outcry tha...

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20:47

MINI Episode - A Supernatural Turn in the Welch...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/07/16

In this special mini-episode, we revisit 102. Murder on Route 66: The Welch Family Tragedy with a surprising update. You can listen to the original episode here: https://www.hardtimesandtruecrimes.com/102 One of the individuals directly connected to the original case recently reached out to share his personal account - a version of events that includes powerful and deeply personal claims involving details not known to the public. While we don't claim to validate or endorse these element...

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57:14

105. North Carolina's First Serial Killer: The...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/07/09

In 1931, a little girl named Vera Leonard vanished while waiting for the school bus in Guilford County, NC. Hours later, her body was found in the ashes of her burned-down home. The man arrested—“Will Moore”—turned out to be an escaped convict named Asbury Respus, who would go on to confess not only to Vera’s murder but to as many as nine others across North Carolina. Some of his confessions were confirmed. Others remain unverified. Asbury Respus became North Carolina’s first known serial kil...

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30:21

104. Burned Alive: The Martyrdom of Graham Staines...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/06/25

In this gripping true crime episode, we explore the harrowing and heartbreaking story of Graham Staines, an Australian missionary who was burned alive along with his two young sons by a radical mob in Odisha, India, in 1999. Even in the face of horrific violence, forgiveness and faith can speak louder than hate. Narrator: Curtis Hildreth Intro and Outro Music: Isaiah Hildreth Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20110409123228/http://www.hvk.org/specialrepo/wadhwa/Graham.html http...

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65:50

103. Moonshine and Murder in the Smoky Mountains: The...

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/06/11

In 1949, deep in the Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, Tennessee, a savage double murder shattered the stillness of a quiet Appalachian community. Charlie Perry—a former Knoxville bootlegger turned tourist camp owner—and his longtime housekeeper, Josie Law, were brutally killed in their home at Perry’s Camp, a rustic riverside lodge in Flat Branch Hollow. Charlie had been tortured—his body bearing the marks of cruelty before the final blow was delivered. Josie was slain trying to defend him. ...

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34:36

102. Murder On Route 66: The Welch Family Tragedy

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/05/28

In June 1961, JD and Utha Welch packed up their car, their four young sons, and headed west from Oklahoma to visit family in California. It was supposed to be a simple road trip — a summer memory in the making. But one quiet night near Seligman, Arizona, while the boys slept in a canvas pup tent, JD and Utha were gunned down in cold blood as they rested in their car. The boys woke up as orphans. In this tragic episode, we explore the mysterious murders that shattered a family on the side of R...

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47:40

101. Boy in the Walls: The Daniel LaPlante Horror Story

Hard Times and True Crimes ·

2025/05/14

Send us a text Show Notes: In 1986, Tina and Karen Bowen were just teenage girls when their mother passed away from cancer. Not long after, strange things started happening in their home. Knocking from inside the walls. Furniture moved. Objects disappeared. Messages scrawled in red across the bedroom walls: 💬 “I’m in your room. Come and find me.” The girls thought maybe—just maybe—it was their mother trying to reach them from beyond. But what they were dealing with wasn’t a ghost. It was a

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